Saturday, April 26, 2008

The Delivery Part II

You know just when you find yourself feeling so extremely down about work, that Big Fella up there sends a message. Now don't worry, I am not going to start blathering like a crazed prophet about receiving a vision of an angel descending from the heavens with a divine message.

I'm no Eli Stone.

I am a doctor however and I receive my memo from the Department of God somewhat differently. No harps, halos or heavenly choirs.

Seeing Red
All about a man and a baby...

Comes in a form of an elderly gentleman bearing a baby. You see, last year almost exactly to the date, I had a surprise knock on my door while I was on-call. It happened during the wee hours of the morning at about 4 in the morning. Just dropped into runs of REM when I was rudely woken up by a disembodied whisper from the door.

Disembodied Nurse : Doctor, there's a lady in labour in Bed 8.

Not a shocker in the hospital. Certainly not a surprise in the maternity wing.

But in the intensive care unit? Hell, I seriously thought I was dreaming. Scrambled out of bed in my scrubs with my bed hair, hurried over to Bed 8 only to see my semi-sedated patient ( hitherto supposedly concussed with a head bleed ) bearing down with all her might with lil tufts of hair already appearing... way down there.

It was a baby. My first thought was fuck. My last delivery was 5 years back minimum but that certainly didn't stop me. Don't even remember yelling for the delivery set but I do remember grabbing a pair of sterile gloves somewhere.

Wildly premature, desperately ill... and honestly I never thought he would make it. Obviously I was wrong since the father came by yesterday and the obviously healthy baby babbled an audible greeting. And there was my name on his birth cert.

Isn't life indeed wonderful?

11 comments:

robin said...

Aah...what a wonderful story to start the weekend.

Now you may not need Charming Calvin to smuggle one back from the Motherland. A few more of these miracles and you'll soon have a brood to call you "Godpa" perhaps? Or would you prefer "Fairy" Godma? :P)

nakedwriter said...

That's a beautiful story :)

Life takes unexpected turns and delivers wonderful serendipities.

:) I saved this video for you. It's special and has a lot to do with this post. Tell me what you think.

*hugs*

http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/148

William said...

5 years? Then it's like riding a bike.

asm@di said...

paul, this is such a touching story! makes me want to be a doctor and starts saving people (although maybe a bit too late for that and also not possible since i'm afraid of massive amount of blood but still...)

your job is so worthwhile. i envy you.

Unknown said...

Oh god, u've just saved a life, wait what am i talking about, you saved lots of lives throughout your career. (Bless you) Same as asm@di, if i happened to see a bloodpack, my face will turn pale! (as if what is in the pack, was mine)

Ryan said...

Aww... so sweet and touching. That's so heroic of you!

I would've fainted when I see blood there. But isn't it nice when you heard "the audible greeting" and also your name on the baby's birth cert?!

You should be proud! :D

A Lewis said...

good god in heaven, i thought Joseph Smith himself was going to rear his head at the beginning of this post. and by the end, your name on the birth certificate, oh my.....i'm all of a twitter now.

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Unknown said...

What a charming story...

Kai Santorino said...

such a charming story....

luke! said...

that's a sweet story. remind me of one of my experiences delivering a baby. the story makes me remember why i want to be a doctor on the first place.